Gate-latch.



PATENTED JULY 24, 1906.

w. R. MORRIS. GATE LATCH. .LPPLIOLTIOH FILED JULYG, 1.905!

s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

simple, durable, and eflicient latc character which will automatically adjustV UNITED STATES PATENT' ORRIOR. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6, 1905. Serial No. 268,332'.

Patented July 24, 1906.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM R. MORRIS, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Kingsland, in the county of Cleveland and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Latches; and I do'declare the Jfollowing to be a full, clear, and exact'description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in thel art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates'to improvements in gate-latches; and it consists in the novel construction, combination, and arran ement of devices hereinafter described and c aimed.

The object of the invention is to rovide a h of this itself as the gate sags, so that it will always engage the keeper upon the gate-post.

The above and other objects, which will appear as the nature of my invention is better understood, are accomplished by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of aportion of a gate and a gate-post, showing my improved latch applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view'taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the latch. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the latch proper and its adjusting-plate. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the adjusting-plate of the latch, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the latchkeeper- Referring to the drawings bynumeral, 1 denotes a portion of a swinging gate, 2 a gatepost serving as a stop for the free end of the gate, and 3 my improved latch. The latch comprises a base or guide plate 4, which is substantially rectangular in form and secured upon the gate 1 by screws or the like 5, which are passed through apertures in the ends of said plate. The latter has its inner face ree cessed, as shown at 6, and in its outer face is formed a centrally-disposed longitudinallyextending slot 7. Slidably mounted in the recess 6 and slot 7 is an adjusting plate or element 8, which carries the swinging latch proper, 9. Said plate or element 8 consists of a substantially rectangular base portion which is adapted to slide in the recess 6, and formed upon the outer face of said portion 8 is an enlargement 10, which projects through and slides in the slot 7. Said enlargement 10 lhas at its lower portion a projecting arm 11, which is slightly tapered, as shown, and in its upper portion is formed a slot or opening 12, through which the latch 9 extends. Said latch has at its outer end a hook 13 and a iinger-piece 14 and at its inner end two oppositely-pro'ecting pivot studs or'lugs 15, which engage b the inner face of the base portion of the adjusting-plate 8. The latch 9 is also formed at its inner end with a shoulder 17, which is held normally in engagement with the lower end of the slot 12 by a coil-spring 18, which is retained between projections -19 upon the plate 8 and the latch 9, and which tends to force said latch downwardly toward the arm 11. The pivot studs or trunnions 15 of the caring-recesses 16, formed on latch 9 are retained in the recesses 16, .and

the adjusting-plate 8 is forced into frictional engagement with the recessed portions 6 of the guide-plate 4 by a plate-spring 20, which is disposed in a longitudinally-extending recess 21, formed at the rear of the base portion of the plate 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. This plate-spring 2() is slightly bowed and has its central portion bearing against the gate 1 and the pivoted end of the latch and its ends seated in the recess 21 so that the slidable adjusting-plate 8 will be held against movement in the guide-plate 4 by the frictional contact of said plates. In order to render this contact more effective, the opposing faces of the lower end of the plate 8 and the recess 6 of the plate 4 are formed with coacting serrations 22, as clearly shown in the drawings. These serrations 22 may be of any desired form that will cause the spring 20 to hold the sliding plate 8 firmly in position and at the same time permitting it to slide in either direction when said plate 8 is moved longitudinally. The spring 20 by bearing against the pivoted inner end of the latch keeps thev trunnions of the latter in the recesses 16 and also prevents the latch from wearing the gate.

Upon the gatepost 2 is provided a keeper 23, which consists of a base-plate 24, formed with apertures to receive screws or the like 25, which secure said plate to the post. Upon the outer face of the plate 24 are formed two V-shaped projections 26 and 27, which are spaced apart, as shown. The hook 13 of the latch 9 is adapted to coact with the upper portion of the projection 26, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawin s, and the tapered arm 11 upon the sliding atch-carrying IOO IlO

plate 8, is adapted to coact with the adjacent portion of both of the yprojections 26 27 so as to guide the latch 9 into engagement with the upper projection 26. It will be seen that as the gate is swung to its closed position the arm llfywill enter between the projections 26 27 andtheV latch9 'will'ride over the` upper portion of the upper projection 26 untilits hook 13 drops in rear of the same. Should the gate sag or -the keepen noty be -in the properfplane, so that-the arm l1'1 strikes either ofthe adjacentfaces of the projections'26 27 it lwill-be seen that theplaterS wi1'1;be=s1id eitherupwardly or -downwardlyfuntil. they said sarm enters between said projection. The

latch thus-automatically adjusts itself upon the gate, so thatv it will*` alwaysengage the keeper when the agate -is swungftoits closed position.

\ Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire'to secure by Letsf ters Patent, issplate slidablymounted in the slotted and re l cessed portions of the guide-plate, the opposite faces of said guide and adjusting plates having coengaging serrations, and said ad- 3o justing-plate being recessed on its inner side and having a tapered arm on its outer side to enter the space between the lugs of the keeper,k rand being further provided with a slot abovey said tapered arm, a latch having its inner end in the said slot, provided at its extreme inner end :with:bearing-trunnions\enf.1 gaging the recesses in theL adjustingfplate on opposite r sides of thef slot 5 l fsaid. latch beings further .provided-with a shoulder toengage 4o theavinner end offthe tapered arInVandna' flat. spring 20 in the-recess :in ether inner side of the;A adjustingplate andnwith its:intermediateL portion bearing against thei pivoted inner end f f ofthe latch and'adapted-to bear a ainstv-the; 45 surface a a-inst which-:the yguide-p ate is se.c` cured, su stantially as described.

In testimony whereofl I have `hereunto fset my hand in Ipresence of two subscribing :wit-lr nesses.- c

WILLIAM 5R.; MORRIS Witnesses J. JoNEs,` R.A B., RANKIN: 

